


Tangled Web of Natural Oddities

by luvsanime02



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Ghosts, Humor, Language, Multi, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Shapeshifting, Unnatural November, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-01-28 00:31:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12594032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvsanime02/pseuds/luvsanime02
Summary: One town, and a whole tangled web of supernatural beings. It's not surprising that people come to expect the unexpected there.





	1. November 1st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorothy is sick of being made fun of, and she's going to confront that asshole and kick his ass for playing around with her. Or, she would, if he would just hold still long enough for her to hurt him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1st prompt of Unnatural November: “We’re the only vampires in a small town, and you keep getting first dibs at the blood bank, but CAN YOU STOP HOGGING ALL OF THE B+, PLEASE?!?!?” Vampire!AU.

**Disclaimer:** I don’t own Gundam Wing, and am making no money off of this fic.

########

**Tangled Web of Natural Oddities** by luvsanime02

########

**November 1st**

By this point, Dorothy isn’t really surprised when she walks towards the blood bank only to see that the same guy is once again just leaving. But she is pissed off. This guy, whoever the hell he is, may just be the only other vampire in town besides her, and he’s been consistently stealing all of the B+ blood before she can get to it herself.

It doesn’t even seem to matter what day she goes, or what time. He’s always there, and he’s always _just_ leaving with the blood. Dorothy swears that he’s doing it on purpose. He must be. There are too many coincidences for her to believe otherwise.

And tonight, Dorothy has finally had enough. She raises her chin and walks over to him. The guy raises his eyes and acknowledges her presence.

And then he smirks. The _fucker_.

“What do you _want_?" she demands. She’s sick of playing games with this guy. It’s no fun when he always wins, especially when Dorothy doesn’t even know _how_.

The guy blinks at her, affecting ignorance, but Dorothy knows better. She narrows her eyes. “You have to have _some_ reason why you’re stealing all of the B+ blood just before I get here every single time. So why?”

He shrugs, and the enticing bag of blood shifts in his grip. Dorothy’s eyes track its movements, before jumping back up to the guy’s face in time to see him watching her carefully. There’s a long silence between them. At first, Dorothy thinks that he’s not going to respond, but then he says, “Because it’s amusing.”

His voice is quiet and low, and probably pleasant-sounding. Except that he’s clearly a total asshole, for all that he looks like he could be a male model. His features are exotic - clearly Asian, but with dark blue eyes and messy, dark brown hair that falls over them in an attempt to hide their intensity from random passersby. Really, he’s quite pretty, and Dorothy can see why whoever turned him did so. He still needs to be taught a lesson, though.

Moving as fast as she can, Dorothy suddenly races forward and slams her fist into that pretty face. She’s not expecting the boot that almost casually kicks her in the stomach in response. Dorothy flies back and hits a car. Shit, that hurt. She pries herself free from the damaged frame, and grits her teeth as she stands.

Gone is all the humor from this guy’s expression, and instead, he looks like something out of a child’s nightmare. His pretty face is now only a mask that serves to hide the flames of hell residing behind his eyes. He’s seen too much; he knows too much. Just like her. She’s far from intimidated.

“Alright, you asshole,” she shouts, completely forgoing secrecy, or any sense of dignity. She rips off her coat and throws it to the side, and rushes forward again. To her immense frustration, this guy meets Dorothy move for move. If she goes to punch his shoulder, he grabs her wrist. When she twists out of his grip and tries to kick his legs out from underneath him, his leg swings out and blocks hers. And on and on. They’ve moved away from the blood bank and down the street, have knocked over a few signs and one trashcan, and now Dorothy is really fucking sick of this shit.

“Would you just let me have _some fucking B+ blood_?” she practically screams, dodging another of his kicks, leaping over his leg, and trying to swipe the bag. He throws the bag into the air, catching Dorothy off-guard just long enough to kick her again, knocking her into a wall. _Through_ a wall, fucking shit. They’re tearing up the town here.

The guy catches the bag and stares at her, and then he tilts his head and smirks again. She _hates_ him. “I’ll give you some,” he says, turning his back to her insultingly and walking away. “If you can ever beat me,” he adds over his shoulder. And then he’s gone.

Dorothy’s left with the property damage and several concerned looks from people who have no doubt been watching from the sidelines during the whole fight. Shit, shit, _shit_. She’s got dust and who knows what else in her hair, she’s got way too much attention on her right now, her coat is a lost cause, and to top it off, that fucking jackass didn’t even break a sweat the whole time.

The only hit Dorothy landed on him was that very first punch, and he clearly _let_ her get that shot in. Disgusted, she ignores the people coming cautiously closer and turns on her heel, marching away. She’s never been up against someone who is so much better than her before. She wonders how old he is, where he comes from, what he calls himself.

What she really wants to know is where he lives so that she can torch his apartment. Let’s see him steal all of the good blood _then_. Her eyes narrow again, and Dorothy growls under her breath. She’s going to find that fucker again, and next time, she’s going to win. Dorothy won’t accept anything else.


	2. November 5th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meilan goes out of her way in order to irritate Wufei, but it's for his own good, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd prompt of Unnatural November: “The ghost in my apartment died in the ‘90s and won’t stop singing ‘90s pop songs.” Ghost!AU.

**November 5th**

“Don’t go chasing waterfalls,” Meilan whispers. Wufei twitches as he attempts to read something on his computer, pretending to ignore her. Meilan smirks. “Please stick to the rivers and the lakes…”

She trails off, and watches Wufei as he tries not to obviously grind his teeth. This is the part of her singing that really pisses him off, she knows. Not just that she sings annoying pop songs from the ‘90s. That, she’s sure Wufei could learn to ignore over time. Besides, Meilan knows that she doesn’t have a bad singing voice, or anything. He should be grateful to get a free concert every day.

Even the knowledge that Meilan is a ghost doesn’t really disturb Wufei. She’d wasted their first meeting on attempting to startle him by popping in on him unexpectedly during his shower. Of course, that had been for her benefit, too. The guy’s seriously hot. But Wufei’s only response had been to raise one eyebrow and ask if she’s enjoying the free show.

Still, they both decided that they were okay with living together. Except that Meilan found out about Wufei’s own secret a few weeks ago, and ever since then, she’s done her best to really annoy the hell out of him. And her singing annoys Wufei. Mostly, it’s the fact that Meilan will only softly sing a few bars, just long enough to get the song stuck in his head, and then she’ll quit. Wufei can’t stand it.

“Isn’t it weird?” she sings softly, pretending that she’s not watching Wufei’s hands ball into tight fists when she really is. “Isn’t it strange? Even though we’re just two people…”

“I hate that song!” he finally snaps, looking over at her. 

Meilan smiles sweetly, and Wufei eyes her warily. “I know,” she says smugly. “We’re both trying to find a place in the sun,” she continues.

“Would you  _ please _ just pick another song?” he asks, almost desperately.

“Isn’t it weird how we’re all just a little bit strange sometimes,” she sings, ignoring him. “Sitting outside, waiting for a sign, hoping that my luck will change.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Wufei growls. His skin suddenly ignites, and there’s fire everywhere, crawling all along his arms. “Would you just be quiet while I read this damn report?!” Wufei practically roars. Meilan can hear his vocal chords changing, and see his skin hardening. In a few moments, if he doesn’t calm down…

And there it is, Meilan thinks, giggling as the fire alarm starts screeching. That means it won’t be long before someone comes to check if everything’s okay. Maybe, if Wufei’s lucky, he’ll meet a cute firefighter.

“You are so annoying, you know that?” Wufei says, this time just sounding tired as he struggles to get his form changing under control.

“Only for your own good,” she retorts. “And my amusement, of course,” she adds.

Wufei ignores her and snuffs out the flames along his skin. The fire alarm is still screeching. Meilan snickers, and leans back, her duty done for the day.


	3. November 8th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Une's got something very important to confide in to Trowa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3rd prompt of Unnatural November: “I just confessed to my best friend that I’m a werewolf, and they've known for years?? And have been covering for me all this time??? Not sure if I should be upset???” Werewolf!AU.

**November 8th**

Une’s nervous. Seriously nervous. After all this time, she’s finally decided to tell Trowa the truth. She’s felt guilty enough for years, keeping such a big secret from Trowa, and now, she’s finally going to come clean.

She’s cooking a nice dinner of chicken kiev and linguini for them, though this is sure to tip Trowa off that something’s wrong. Not that he needs the hint. The man is astonishingly sharp sometimes. All of the time.

Sighing, Une uncorks some wine. She feels like she’s planning out a romantic dinner, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not that Trowa isn’t attractive, but Une’s really not interested. Not interested in men in general, in point of fact.

When Trowa gets home, he raises an eyebrow at the dinner, but follows along with Une’s suggestion of dinner and wine on the couch easily enough. She wants them both to be comfortable.

“Everything alright?” Trowa asks, once they’ve both started eating. His tone says that he already knows what’s up, but since Trowa always sounds like that, Une dismisses it.

She sits up and takes a deep breath. “Trowa,” she says, “I have something important that I need to share with you.” Trowa says nothing, only puts down his silverware and gives her his full attention. “It’s something that I’ve been debating about telling you for a long time now,” she says, continuing. “It’s just… hard to figure out the right words.”

Une sighs, feeling almost ridiculous. She likes Trowa. More importantly, Une trusts him, or she wouldn’t be starting this whole conversation in the first place. “The thing is, Trowa, I’m a werewolf.”

Her sentence seems to ring in the silence of their apartment. Trowa says nothing, his expression doesn’t change, and, after a few seconds, Une’s worry turns to irritation. “You don’t believe me?” she asks. She wonders what she’ll have to do in order to prove herself.

Trowa shrugs. “I believe you,” he reassures her. “I’ve known for years.”

Une’s mind promptly blanks out. “What?” she asks, feeling numb.

“I’ve known for years,” Trowa repeats. “Remember that weekend in Atlanta, for Dorothy’s birthday? I told everyone that you had one of those short flu things, but that you gave some excuse about work so that no one would worry.”

If Une was shocked before, that’s nothing to how she feels now. Wasn’t Trowa supposed to be the upset person tonight? “Why did you do that?” she asks. She doesn’t know what else to say.

Trowa smirks. “Because your excuse sucked,” he says bluntly. Une scowls. “No one is going to skip out on their lover’s birthday celebration just because they’re too busy with work. Especially over a weekend.”

Une huffs, though she has to mentally concede the point. “Dorothy knows the truth about me,” she explains, as if that justifies her lack of creativity. Only after she speaks does Une wince, wondering if Trowa will become upset that Dorothy knew Une’s secret before he did. 

Only, Trowa doesn’t seem upset. Or surprised, even now. He simply gives her one of those looks, the kind that says, ‘Of course she does.’ Une sighs. Trowa continues eating after a moment, as though the conversation is finished.

Une supposes that it is. Except for one thing. “Thank you,” she says, though she can’t quite keep the annoyance out of her voice. “For not caring that I’m different, and for helping me keep that a secret even when I hadn’t worked up the nerve to confide in you yet.”

Trowa nods, and that’s that. The two of them enjoy the rest of their meal, and Une marvels that sometimes Trowa really does know everything. Une’s just usually not sure if that’s a good thing or not. Tonight, it definitely is.


	4. November 10th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Relena's vacation is unexpectedly cut short, she doesn't expect to uncover her roommate's secret by coming home early.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4th prompt of Unnatural November: “You’re my roommate who came home early from vacation, and you caught me in my actual form, and now it’s awkward.”

**November 10th**

Relena walks swiftly towards the front door to her apartment, irritated at the weather. What was supposed to be a sunny week on the beach turned suddenly stormy, with a hurricane approaching, and so Relena left. Her mood’s been sour ever since, and her brother definitely isn’t helping matters.

Milliardo insisted on staying at the beach, for some reason. He’d told Relena that he’ll be just fine, and now her worry for him is making her anxious. The only silver lining of coming back so early from her ruined vacation is that she can surprise her roommate, Quatre, and then they can watch some movies together tonight, order in some Chinese, and drink some wine. That’s all that Relena wants to do right now, to sit and relax with her friend for a few hours in order to forget about her ridiculous and reckless older brother.

When Relena finally unlocks and opens the front door, she’s greeted by the sight of her perfectly sweet roommate standing in the middle of the living room, looking like he’s been caught quite off-guard. That’s not an especially surprising reaction, Relena supposes, since he’s wearing a toga and clutching what looks like an authentic bow, with sandals on his feet and - Relena has to blink and double-check - wings on his back. Very realistic-looking wings.

They’re both frozen for several long moments, until Relena has the presence of mind to shut their front door behind her.

“Um…” Quatre says, though his voice quickly trails off.

“Am I interrupting something?” Relena asks carefully. If Quatre has someone here, or if he’s getting ready to attend a late Halloween party, or something…

“Oh!” Quatre exclaims, rapidly waving the hand that’s not gripping the bow back and forth, and frantically shaking his head. “Oh, not at all, Relena. I just, er, wasn’t expecting to see you so soon. What happened?”

There’s a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder. Relena really doesn’t know what to say. “Nice costume,” she says, folding her arms across her chest and ignoring his question.

“What?” Quatre asks, and then, “Oh, my costume, yes! Do you like it? I saw some discount ones at, um, that place we usually go to? And I thought that this one looked too good to pass up.”

Quatre, who is usually so calm and composed, much like Relena herself, is practically stammering. Relena’s not buying it. Not one little bit. She sighs. “Quatre, why are you dressed up like that?” she asks quietly.

He falters, and then clears his throat nervously. “I’m getting ready to go to work, actually,” he confesses.

Unless her roommate works somewhere _highly_ interesting, not to mention the fact that Relena’s quite sure that Quatre doesn’t even _have_ a job, he’s clearly not telling her everything.

It seems impossible, but here he is, standing right in front of her. Relena slowly walks around Quatre and sits down on the couch. “You’re a cupid, aren’t you?” she asks bluntly.

Quatre winces. “Maybe?” he offers. “Yes,” he adds in the next second, flopping down onto the couch next to her. He has to be careful not to crush his wings. “I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner.”

Relena shakes her head in amazement. “I didn’t even know that any cupids still existed.”

“There’s not many of us left,” Quatre agrees solemnly. “So I try not to let people find out about me.”

And now, Relena has. “I won’t tell anyone,” she reassures him, reaching over to grasp his hand and squeeze it lightly.

Quatre smiles at her warmly. “Thank you,” he says, returning her gesture. “I know you won’t.”

This isn’t at all what Relena expected to discover when her vacation was cut short. She’s not complaining, though. This is the most interesting secret that Relena’s found out about in years. Maybe one day soon she’ll have to let Quatre in on a secret of her own.


	5. November 12th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sally's just getting home after a long shift at work. She isn't expecting to have to break down a neighbor's door. She definitely isn't expecting to talk to a ghost, but here she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5th prompt of Unnatural November: “We live on the same floor, and you keep setting the fire alarm off. I thought you're just a bad cook, but you’re actually a freaking dragon.” Dragon!AU.

**November 12th**

Sally’s finally done with her shift, and she exits the elevator onto her floor fully intent on getting some much-needed sleep. She notices the quiet and relaxes. One of her neighbors on this floor has a horrible habit of setting off his fire alarm. As a firefighter, Sally is highly tuned into the sound, and she’s always on alert until she knows that everything’s fine.

For such a gorgeous guy, her neighbor must be crap at cooking. Oh well, can’t have everything, she supposes. 

Of course, just as she’s thinking that everything’s in the clear, Sally hears the neighbor’s alarm scream. She sighs, not too concerned. Usually, she hears the alarm, and then a stream of cursing seconds later, and then, after a few minutes, everything is quiet and calm once again.

Except, this time, she doesn’t hear any cursing. And then an absolute cloud of dark gray smoke starts billowing out from under the apartment door. Sally is the one who curses this time. She bangs on the door. “Hello?” she shouts. “Is everything okay in there?”

There’s no answer, and Sally is officially worried. “Can you hear me in there?” she shouts, banging on the door again. Still no response. Sally can’t waste anymore time. The guy could be unconscious, and even now inhaling toxic fumes that will kill him.

“I’m calling emergency services and getting your door open!” Sally shouts. “If you can hear me, stay close to the floor and remain calm. Wet a washcloth and put it over your mouth and nose, if possible. If not, use your shirt.”

Sally dials work while she’s shouting through the door, and she puts it on speaker. While she’s informing emergency services of the situation, she inspects the door. When she hangs up, Sally grits her teeth and kicks the door jamb right where the deadlock is clearly situated on the other side. It takes a few good kicks, and her leg is aching, but then the door flies open and Sally charges in, squinting against the smoke and with her jacket over her head in order to provide a filter.

The last thing that she’s expecting to see is an actual dragon in the living room, breathing smoke, and a see-through woman chortling beside him. Sally stops and stares. The other woman notices her and waves. “Hi. Wow, you got through that door? Definitely a keeper,” she says cheerfully.

“Thank you,” Sally responds automatically, because she was raised with manners. That, and she’s not sure what else to say right at this moment. 

The other woman stills and stares at her, and even the dragon turns its head and looks at her sharply. As if Sally is the unusual being in this equation. “You can see me?” the other woman asks, and then continues before Sally can answer. “You  _ can  _ see me. Wow. Jackpot.”

Sally isn’t sure what that means, and has more pressing issues at the moment. Taking a deep breath, she turns to the dragon and squints through the smoke. “Chang Wufei?” she asks, just to be sure. The dragon nods, and the other woman snickers. Sally ignores that too, for now. “Could you please change back? Not to be rude, but you’re causing a lot of smoke to enter the hallway, and that’s a serious hazard. Not to mention for your apartment, too. You’re never going to get your security deposit back.”

Once again, both of them seem to pause and consider her carefully. Sally wonders why, and then she watches in awe as Wufei shifts and changes before her eyes. Suddenly, in a few seconds, he goes from dragon to human. A rather naked and still gorgeous human, who is raising an eyebrow at her somewhat dazed staring.

Sally clears her throat. “Right,” she says, pulling her gaze away and giving him some privacy. She dials work and explains that she has already entered the premises and discovered that there’s no need for emergency services. It’s really lucky that Sally’s a firefighter herself, or dispatch likely wouldn’t believe a word that she’s saying.

When she hangs up again, Wufei has dressed in loose pants and a sleeveless shirt, both silk and obviously of high quality, and Sally approves. She keeps that thought to herself, though, and instead looks at the remains of the front door. “Sorry about busting down your door,” she says. “To be fair, you should be more careful not to set off your fire alarm so often. Maybe open up a few windows before you transform? Or the doors to the terrace?”

Wufei glares at the see-through woman for some reason, who looks smug, and then inclines his head at Sally. “I apologize for causing you any conveniences,” he says. “I’ll try to keep your advice in mind for the future.”

“He can’t control it,” the see-through woman adds bluntly. Wufei glares at her again. “I like to piss him off, and when he’s angry, he can’t control the shifting.”

Well, that certainly shines a different light onto what happens in this apartment so often. “Why would you do that?” she asks curiously. 

The other woman smirks. “Just trying to meet someone interesting. Looks like we did. My name’s Long Meilan, by the way. And you?”

Wufei and Meilan are both looking at her appraisingly once more, and Sally stares back. She has no idea what to do right now. Here she is, talking to a dragon and what she’s almost positive is a ghost, and Sally is too tired for this shit.

That decided, she says, “My name is Sally Po. It’s very nice to meet you both. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to my apartment so that I can pass out after a long shift. Tomorrow, when I’m conscious and pretty sure that this isn’t the result of a concussion or something, I’ll come back. If that’s alright?” she adds.

Wufei is the one who nods in response, a small smile appearing on his face. “We look forward to it,” he says, Meilan smirking in agreement, and Sally gives the two one last wave before she leaves through the broken-down door. 

Well, this was certainly an interesting end to her day.


	6. November 14th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noin was expecting her house to be a total disaster after the hurricane, if it was even still there at all. She definitely wasn't expecting an unconscious person in her pool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 6th prompt of Unnatural November: “Cleaning my pool after bad hurricane. Found some seaweed, some sand, and a stranded mermaid.” Mermaid!AU.

**November 14th**

When Noin finally heads home after the hurricane has left devastation everywhere in its wake, a day or two has already passed since then. Noin’s been busy helping out at the local storm relief shelter during all of that time. She would have even stayed longer, wanted to, but someone noticed how exhausted she was, and then Noin was ordered to go home and rest. She didn’t have the heart to tell them that she wasn’t sure if she even  _ had _ a home anymore.

She wouldn’t be that badly off, compared to some, if that ends up being the case. Noin lives alone, and has no pets. Hell, she doesn’t even keep any plants. Her work schedule is too long and too demanding, and she doesn’t have the time for anything else.

So here Noin is, coming home for the first time since the hurricane swept through, and she’s already expecting broken windows, the roof torn off, and anything else that could possibly go wrong.

In that way, what she actually does find isn’t too bad. Just unexpected. Noin takes a shower, relieved that her water’s fine, and makes something to eat. She’ll admit only to herself that she feels so much better already, and can also probably use the sleep. Before she does try resting, though, Noin walks out into her backyard, wanting to know the damage. 

There’s a few slats blown off of her back fence, but that’s easy enough to fix. She surveys the rest of her yard in relief. Everything looks fine, amazingly enough. Except for her pool, of course. It’s a lovely inground pool, with heated water and lights for nighttime swimming, mostly because Noin never knows when she’s getting home from work, and usually prefers to use swimming as a way to destress and unwind before going to bed.

Right now, her pool has definitely seen better days. She’s not actually surprised by all of the sand dumped into it. Noin can call someone to come over and vacuum that out when it finally settles. The leaves and dirt and seaweed, and who knows what else, can also either be vacuumed up or Noin can get it out with the net. Her pool needs a very thorough cleaning, and she’s sure that the chemical ph balance is way off now, but there’s nothing wrong with it that can’t all get fixed eventually.

She’s not so sure what to do about the body floating in her pool. Normally, Noin would dive in and try to help whoever, but this person, to put it bluntly, has a long tail. She squints, trying to see them better through the muck and sand, and yep, that’s definitely, absolutely, a tail. And are those scales? Those are definitely scales. 

With no better plan in mind, since she has to find out if they’re still alive, Noin gets the net and gently pokes them. Could they still be alive? How long has their head been underwater? Immediately, she crouches down in order to look them over from even closer up, trying to see if she can notice any breathing. What Noin does see are some gills on the sides of their neck. Okay, then. Probably still breathing.

Noin pokes the figure again, trying to be gentle but firm about it. Finally, there’s some stirring, and Noin pulls the net back. That tail slaps the water and sends a huge spray up into the air, and the appendage must be six feet long, at least. Wow.

And then the person floating in her pool raises their head, and Noin thinks they might be male. Certainly, they have no breasts. They’re also unbelievably gorgeous, with light blue eyes and long white-blond hair. They blink at her in mild confusion, and then lift one hand to press against the side of their head. Noin notices the very sharp fingernails on the ends of long fingers, and she also notices the blood under their hair when they pull their fingers away from their head.

Noin takes in a slow, deep breath. “Okay,” she says, “I have no idea what’s happened, but this is my private residence and you’re injured. Is it okay if I go inside and grab my first-aid kit?”

They blink at her again, look around in confusion some more, and then slowly nod. “Yes, please,” they say, and wow, they have quite a pleasant voice. Deep, too. Male is looking more likely, though she’ll probably have to ask to be sure. 

“I’ll be right back,” Noin reassures them, and then walks into her house. She grabs the first-aid kit and a towel, and goes back out. 

When they see the towel, they grin. They have a lot of sharp teeth inside their mouth. Noin’s fascinated, but tries not to stare. “Thank you. This would probably go easier if I wasn’t still in your pool,” they say. “Terribly sorry about that.”

Noin shakes her head, handing the towel over. “It’s fine,” she says. “I doubt you broke through my fence for a swim.” They must have been slammed through the fence, actually, and it must have hurt.

They chuckle, and in one swift move, pull themselves up out of Noin’s pool and onto her deck. She blinks. Wow. They’re insanely long, and their scales are iridescent and beautiful, turning rainbow colors everywhere the light hits them.

Noin’s staring, and they notice. “Sorry,” she says. 

They shrug, looking amused. “Is this the first time you’ve seen a merman?”

That pretty much settles the issue of gender for her. “Yes,” Noin says, laughing a little. She kneels down beside him and opens her first-aid kit, getting out something to clean his cut with. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” she asks.

“Only my dignity,” he drawls, while she’s disinfecting the cut and covering it with a sterile pad. “Thank you.” He lays the towel over his tail. Well, as much surface area as the fabric can cover, and she raises an eyebrow in a silent question.

He grins at her again. It’s very charming, even with all of the teeth. “I can’t transform back until I’m dry,” he explains. 

Noin blinks. “Oh,” she says. And then, “I have more towels, if you want.”

“Please,” he says, looking quite relaxed as he stretches out on her deck. “My name is Milliardo Peacecraft, by the way. I don’t believe we’ve introduced ourselves just yet.”

Noin smiles. “No, we haven’t,” she agrees, and holds out her hand. He takes it, sharp nails and all, and shakes her hand very carefully. “My name is Lucrezia Noin. It’s very nice to meet you, Milliardo.”


	7. November 18th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cathy finally asks out the cute woman who's been coming into her store so often lately. Now, if she could only figure out if her response of being a witch is an acceptance or a refusal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7th prompt of Unnatural November: “I own a flower shop, and you and your group of friends keep asking for super specific herbs and plants. Which are hard to find, but I do it anyways because you’re super cute.” Witch/Coven!AU.

**November 18th**

When that cute woman once again walks into Cathy’s store, she struggles to remain cheery _without_ actually blushing. It doesn’t help her compsure that the woman smiles back, bright and dazzling, and Cathy’s breath catches. She’s got it so bad.

“Welcome to _Flowers and Blooms_ ,” she calls out, hoping that her voice isn’t noticeably strained. “How may I help you today?”

The woman walks up to the counter, not bothering to look around first. Cathy isn’t offended. She’s learned by now that most of this woman’s requests are… unique. “Hi,” the woman says, still cheerful. Cathy again has to will herself not to blush. “I was wondering if I could get some agrimony from you?”

“We’ll have to order it in special,” Cathy says without missing a beat. She doesn’t even know what that plant is, or where it’s from, but she’ll definitely have some in her store within two weeks. “I’ll ring you when it’s in, but shipping it shouldn’t take too long.” Cathy will make sure of that.

“Wonderful!” the woman exclaims, and she looks so thrilled. Cathy will find that plant and dig it up herself in order to keep this woman looking so happy. “Really, yours is just the nicest shop I’ve ever been to.”

This time, Cathy can’t stop the blush, and doesn’t try. At least the compliment is an excuse for her to flush. “Thanks.”

The woman doesn’t leave just yet, but stays and chats for a few minutes, which Cathy appreciates. There’s no one else in the store, and it’s nice to have someone to talk to for a little while. “So, how’s the mysterious brother?” the woman asks teasingly, and Cathy groans at the reminder.

“Unbearable,” she says. “I don’t know where he’s getting his information from, but he’s always right. It’s so annoying coming from a younger brother.” Just yesterday, Trowa had wished Cathy good luck on asking out the very woman currently standing on the other side of her counter. Which is nice and supportive, except that Cathy hasn’t ever mentioned her plan to ask the woman out. She hasn’t even mentioned that the woman has been coming into her shop lately. Cathy suspects that there are hidden cameras around the shop, and is not amused.

The woman chuckles. “I’ll bet.”

Well, if Cathy wants to ask this woman out, she’d better hurry it up. “My name’s Cathy,” she says unexpectedly, and extends her hand, silently hoping that the other woman doesn’t find her weird for being so abrupt.

Apparently not, because she grins and shakes Cathy’s hand. “Hilde,” she says. Hilde. It sounds German. Cathy wonders if Hilde’s ever been there, and where she was born, where she grew up. “It’s nice to meet you,” Hilde adds.

“Yes,” Cathy agrees, and then wants to roll her eyes at herself. So smooth. “I figured that asking you out would go much easier if I knew your name,” Cathy confesses. “Would you like to go see the circus with me this weekend, Hilde? I’ve been told that some of their acts are really good.” They should be, and since Cathy used to perform on the tightrope and throw knives, she can give Hilde a backstage tour if she wants.

Hilde looks surprised, and then very eager, which makes Cathy relax, but then she looks almost pensive for a moment. Cathy blinks at the sudden change. Hilde seems to come to a quick decision, though. “I’m a witch,” she says bluntly.

Cathy blinks again. “Pardon?” She doesn’t know what that means. Was that a rejection, or a positive response?

Hilde laughs slightly. “Sorry, that was... um. Abrupt. But see, I’m an actual witch. I belong to a coven. And the rule is, we can’t date outsiders unless they talk with our coven leader first, and swear an oath to never harm anyone in the coven.”

Cathy isn’t sure what to think about all of that just yet, but what she does know is that Hilde isn’t saying no, and that’s good enough for her. “So… when can I meet with your coven leader, then?”

Hilde looks so surprised, and then she leans forward and hugs Cathy tightly. Cathy assumes that Hilde doesn’t get a lot of instant acceptance for her life choices. “I’ll call her in a minute,” Hilde says, her voice muffled against Cathy’s shoulder. “Thanks, though. For accepting me.”

Cathy laughs. “No problem. Thanks for giving me a chance.”


	8. November 22nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heero's being stalked by someone. Again. This time, though, it's someone far more interesting than usual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 8th prompt of Unnatural November: “You were stalking me down a lonely alleyway with a bow and an arrow, but I knocked you out. Turns out you’re a cupid? Are you, like, new at this??” Cupid!AU.

**November 22nd**

Heero resists the urge to sigh. Someone’s stalking him again. He’d thought at first that it was that female vampire, finally turning the tables on him and following Heero around for a change. But no. There’s no way that she would be able to keep so calm and quiet while following him around. She would have attacked Heero by now. Which means that this is someone new.

Heero cuts down a narrow alleyway, and quickly scales the side of a brick building. When he sees someone’s shadow at the entrance to the alley, he doesn’t hesitate. Heero leaps back down and knocks the person out before they’ve even noticed him moving. 

Only then does Heero take the time to look over the person. And… he’s confused. Confusion doesn’t happen to Heero too often. Not anymore. But this person, whoever they are, is clutching a bow and arrow, wearing a toga, and they have wings. Real wings. Huh.

Curiosity keeps Heero there, and he crouches, waiting. It only takes a few minutes, perhaps half an hour, before the figure stirs. The unknown person sits up in alarm when he notices that Heero is staring down at him. “Um, crap.”

Heero snorts. “Concise and accurate. Who are you?” He doesn’t ask what sort of being this person is yet, though he does intend to find out the answer to that question, too, eventually.

The person groans, and puts his head in his hands. “This is not a good week for me,” he laments.

Heero scowls. “That is not an answer.”

Shaking his head, the person sighs. “I know, sorry. My name is Quatre, and… um. I’m your cupid?”

Heero blinks. He’s actually, genuinely, shocked. “You’re what?” he asks, and then Heero immediately shakes his head after, raising his hand to nonverbally cut off whatever this Quatre is going to say next. “You’re a cupid,” he repeats flatly. It’s not a question, but Quatre nods anyway.

Okay, Heero hadn’t even realized that any cupids had survived the purges a thousand years ago. Interesting. His eyes narrow. “I’m a vampire,” Heero states, just in case this cupid isn’t aware of that fact. How long has he been working, really, to be following a vampire around?

Quatre gives him an exasperated look. “I know that,” he says. “And I’ve found the perfect person for you, honest!”

Heero’s skeptical about that, but he finally sits back on his heels. “How do you know?” he asks.

Quatre shrugs. “It’s part of my job. I can tell when people are compatible. Your auras complement each other’s.”

Heero cocks his head. That sounds really fascinating. “So, why have you been following me around for weeks, then?” he asks, not understanding that part.

“Because your aura looks so lonely!” Quatre says earnestly. “And I knew that if I just followed you around for a while, I’d find someone compatible with you. And I did. So, if you’d just continue along your usual route for a few more minutes, I could do my job and stop stalking you.” His words sound utterly ridiculous, but Quatre’s face is quite serious.

Heero considers his options for a minute, and then decides what the hell. It’s the quickest way to get rid of his stalker without also killing him. Considering that Quatre’s a member of an extremely endangered species, Heero really doesn’t want to kill him unless he has to.

“Fine,” Heero concedes, “I’m leaving.” He gets up and walks away, ignoring the shout of thanks from behind him. Heero lives his life by following his emotions, and he’s very curious about what’s going to happen next.

An actual cupid. Who would have thought?


	9. November 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duo would just like to finish this reaping already, and maybe he could if this guy would stop flirting with him long enough to listen to what he's saying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 9th prompt of Unnatural November: “You just died, and I’m supposed to be giving you an epic speech about the afterlife, but you keep interrupting me by flirting with me.” Reaper!AU.

**November 25th**

Duo’s in a pretty good mood when he wakes up. He’s recently started dating a really hot guy who, thankfully, doesn’t seem to care about what exactly Duo’s job entails, or its odd hours. Being a Grim Reaper, Duo isn’t used to finding people who are okay with being around him. It’s also not easy at all to find someone who Duo can even trust with that information, someone who he feels comfortable being around.

But a few days ago, he really lucked out. Met a great guy who’s essentially immortal, so long as he doesn’t do anything too stupid, so Duo doesn’t have to worry too much about him dying. A guy who listens to Duo complain about his job without getting all weird and freaked out. For a Grim Reaper, that’s a goldmine right there. Duo barely has any friends who are willing to listen to him bitch about reaping souls, let alone a significant other.

This recent change in his life is what makes the current soul who Duo’s trying to reap all the more annoying, though.

“Listen,” Duo tries again, “I’m not saying there’s no heaven or hell. I wouldn’t know. Not my duty.”

“Really?” the man - Treize Khushrenada, according to his file - asks. “That’s fascinating. Care to discuss your _duties_ some more? Say, over coffee?”

Duo sighs. It’s not that Treize Khushrenada is bad to look at or anything. And it’s not like Duo doesn’t sympathize. Suddenly being dead must be very disorienting and frightening. Except that this guy isn’t acting scared, or confused. No, he seems perfectly at ease with flirting, rather badly, at Duo. And now this is taking _forever_. Normally, Duo’s willing to wait it out until a soul accepts their body’s death. He’s a Grim Reaper, after all. It comes with the job. But this guy isn’t even _listening_ to Duo, not really, and it’s aggravating.

“Look,” Duo finally says, his tone flat and tense, “I appreciate the attention- No, that’s a lie, I really don’t. You’ve been flirting with me for… hours? And I’m not interested in dating you. I have a hot vampire boyfriend already, and even if I was single, I have a job to do. I don’t ever mix the two, which is why the vampire thing is so handy.”

Duo takes a deep breath, realizing that he’s getting sidetracked and way too personal, but then he notices that this Treize guy seems to actually be paying attention to what Duo’s saying for the first time all day. So, Duo continues. “Usually, there’s a speech. Some grand ‘Welcome to the afterlife! No, I don’t know what happens next, but I know it’s miserable if you stay behind. Why don’t you accept your death already?’ That sort of thing. But seriously, if I have to hear one more bad pick-up line from you about my hair or my eyes or the expert way I _wield my scythe_ , I’m probably just going to leave you here to figure everything out all on your own. So can we please just discuss you moving on already?”

The guy’s silent for a long minute, and Duo’s pretty sure that he’s fucked it all up. If Duo has a flirting ghost haunting him forever from now on, he’s going to be _so_ _pissed_. “Alright,” the man says eventually, shrugging.

Duo’s floored. And relieved. “So,” he says, “let’s talk about-”

“Oh, no,” the man says, waving a hand elegantly through the air, “there’s no need. I understand that I’m dead. Really, you’re free to go.”

Duo eyes him warily, not believing his words. Plenty of people say a lot of things to Duo in an attempt to stay alive for longer, not really understanding that they’re already deceased. “Really?” Duo asks, raising an eyebrow to more fully demonstrate his skepticism.

Treize Khushrenada chuckles. “Yes, quite. I assure you, I’m well aware that I’m dead. I knew it the moment that you appeared before me.”

Duo’s annoyed all over again. “Then what the hell was all of that?” Duo demands, gesturing between them and trying to encompass all of the wasted time and effort..

“Well, I suppose I just wanted to enjoy one last conversation,” the man says thoughtfully. Oh, now Duo kind of feels like an ass. But not too much, because the guy still didn’t have to flirt with him. As though sensing Duo’s continued disapproval, Treize smiles. “Can’t blame me for trying,” he points out.

Before Duo can respond, not that he knows for sure what to say besides “Drop dead”, which really isn’t polite etiquette in Duo’s line of work, Treize Khushrenada turns around and vanishes. Duo shakes his head and walks away. Well, that’s another job done. And Duo’s shift is officially over for the day, which means that he can call up Heero and see if he wants to hang out.

Maybe Duo can help Heero out with that vampire chick he mentioned before, though he seems to enjoy their altercations, from what Duo can tell. Still, Duo’s worried that the woman might try something more drastic eventually.

Or Duo could just ask Heero for some clarification concerning that whole cupid thing. He’s still not entirely sure if Heero was joking or not when he walked up to Duo and said that there was a cupid stalking them both. Duo doesn’t even know if any cupids exist anymore. Still, Duo _was_ impressed enough with the originality of the line that he accepted Heero’s invitation out to dinner.

Well, one of the best things about being alive, in Duo’s opinion, is that there’s no set plan. No rules that you have to follow. He’ll just contact Heero and see what happens from there.


	10. November 28th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trowa's having an unusual day at work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10th prompt of Unnatural November: Person A: “Wow, you're like the first person to spell my name right on my coffee cup. Do we know each other?” Person B: “Nope, I’m just psychic.” Coffee shop/Psychic!AU.

**November 28th**

Trowa’s next customer is a surprise. There’s a vampire waiting to order coffee. Huh. Trowa didn’t even know that vampires could drink coffee, but apparently, they can. This guy is also… shockingly old. He’s also pretty hot, though definitely taken. Okay, Trowa’s just going to stop reading the guy’s surface thoughts now, though he does appreciate how quiet and ordered the vampire’s mind is.

Trowa’s also spoken for, of course. He’s happily dating Relena. Still, it’s nice to know that the vampire’s not planning to hit on Trowa. Over half of the people who Trowa meets either hit on him or want to, and it gets a little tedious.

Thinking about Relena causes Trowa to smirk as he remembers her recent amazement over discovering that her roommate is a cupid. Trowa had already known that even before they’d both decided to tell him, of course, since he’s already met Quatre Winner. Quatre’s a decent person, though, and it’s not Trowa’s place to reveal Quatre’s secrets to the world. 

Just like it’s not Trowa’s business to tell his sister to be careful about dating a witch. Trowa’s a little wary about that, honestly, but Cathy seems happy enough, and so Trowa is letting the situation be. If his sister wants to date a witch and maybe join a coven, then she can make her own decisions. 

Really, Trowa lets a lot of stuff be. It comes with the territory.

“I’d like a mocha latte, please,” the vampire orders, cutting into Trowa’s thoughts. 

He blinks, but nods. “Name?” Trowa asks, snatching it out of Heero’s thoughts and writing it down almost before he says it. A vampire drinking a mocha latte, really? It isn’t often that Trowa’s surprised by someone’s order, but he definitely is now. 

The guy pauses. “I don’t meet a lot of people who spell my name correctly on the first try.”

Trowa shrugs. “I’m psychic,” he quips. He means to say it as a joke, except that Heero doesn’t laugh. His eyes narrow slightly, and he seems to take Trowa’s statement quite seriously. The only other person who’s ever done that when Trowa’s revealed his ability is Relena.

Trowa skims Heero’s surface thoughts again, certain that he’s about to be killed messily, but finds to his surprise that the guy doesn’t seem at all panicked. Or like he even cares that Trowa now knows that he’s a vampire. Well, that’s a relief.

When his order comes up, Heero takes it and pays, then nods his head casually and leaves. No, he’s not concerned in the slightest. Huh. Trowa might want to become friends with this Heero Yuy, if their paths ever cross again.


End file.
